PDEA says missing shabu worth P11B, not P6.8B

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday said it has revised its original estimate on the missing shabu from the four magnetic lifters found in Cavite in August.

From the original estimate of P6.8 billion, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said the estimate is now P11 billion.

Aquino, at a forum in San Juan City, said they revised their figures after reweighing the magnetic lifters last month.

"Ang lumabas doon sa aming pagtitimbang, reweighing doon sa apat na magnetic lifters sa GMA (Cavite)… lumabas doon is 1618.8 kilos," he said, adding 1,618 kilos of shabu have a street value of P11 billion since a kilo is worth P6.8 million.

"Kung imu-umultiply mo 'yun ng P6.8 million bawat kilo, it will turn out P11 billion.” he said.

Aquino explained that they conducted the reweighing at the facility of Department of Public Works and Highways in Laguna with the presence of a barangay captain and the warehouse supervisor.

"Di ba may apat na magnetic filter diyan? Isinakay namin sa container van of the same weight at yung isinakay namin doon sa same truck  noong nag-deliver," he said.

"Nilagay namin lahat ng accessories, magnetic lifters. Sinakay namin yung power supply, cables, lahat,pati yung asbestos filler, wooden pallets, lahat sa container."

They computed the gross and net weight from the documented weight recorded on the bill of lading or the shipment receipt of the truck that carried the four magnetic lifters.

"Ang diperensya niya, mas mabigat ito ng 1,618.8 kilos. Ang assumption namin yun yung nawawalang droga doon GMA Cavite,” Aquino said.

In May last year, P6.4 billion worth of shabu was smuggled into the country from China and was seized in Valenzuela City. The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed criminal cases against nine people allegedly involved in the shipment, among them alleged Customs fixer Mark Ruben Taguba II.

Aquino, meanwhile, said he is not blaming anybody — not even the Bureau of Customs and its head — for the missing shabu.

"First and foremost, I am not blaming anybody. I am not blaming the commissioner. I am not blaming the Bureau of Customs," he said at a forum in San Juan City.

"Ang ginagawa lang ng PDEA is maghanap ng paraan to support our claims, to support our investigation."

Aquino said this a day after President Rodrigo Duterte pointed out that Aquino and Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña seem to be blaming each other for the controversy instead of hunting down drug lords.

Aquino and Lapeña had earlier clashed on whether the lifters were used in smuggling the shabu into the country, as Lapeña initially said there is no proof of that. —KBK, GMA News